Tres Leches de Coco con Guayaba (Coconut and Guava Tres Leche)

Tres Leches | There is no doubt that I have more of a salt tooth then I do a sweet tooth but, there is a dessert that I am a sucker for and that is tres leches. I am going to confidently declare that tres leches is the best dessert. It’s impossible to have just one slice.

What is Tres Leches?

Tres leches translate as three milks. It is a dessert that is enjoyed throughout Latin America. The dessert is made with a sponge cake, sometimes a butter cake, that is soaked in three kinds of milk. Traditionally the kinds of milk used is evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and heavy cream. Different recipes may use other kinds of milk such as whole milk, half and half, or even plant milk.

For my recipe, I have opted to give the traditional tres leches cake a twist. In place of sweetened condensed milk I have opted to use cream of coconut milk. It provides the same amount of sweetness with a coconut kick. And as if that wasn’t enough I figured I include a layer of pureed guava.

What kind of cake is Tres Leches?

Most tres leche I grew up eating was made with a simple sponge cake. But, if you like your desserts really rich you can also use a butter cake. When in a pinch I have been known to purchase a pound cake or an angel cake at the supermarket and soak it in a milk mixture.

How long is Tres Leches good for?

Because tres leches cake is a cake that is soaked in milk it is best that it is kept refrigerated and enjoyed cold. The cake holds well in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. However, I have rarely seen a cake last that long.

This recipe is a layered cake recipe, which is not typical of tres leches. But, I really wanted to push a decadent dessert over the top and fill it with guava puree. It does take a little finesse to layer this cake because of the weight of a milk-soaked cake. If you don’t feel you can layer the cake you can prepare it as two separate cakes and serve it with the guava puree.

This is definitely a cake that doesn’t require a glass of milk. One bite and you will never want another dessert again.

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Tres Leches de Coco

Who needs a glass of milk with their cake when you have tres leche cake? This cake is soaked in three different milks. Hence the name tres leches which translates to three milks. This version is a twist on the traditional using cream of coconut as one of the milks.

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup unsalted butter

4 cups white sugar (divided)

10 eggs

3 teaspoons vanilla extract (divided)

2 cups milk

1 cup Coco Lopez Cream of Coconut

1 12-ounce can evaporated milk

3 cups heavy whipping cream

1 can of guava shells drained

1 tsp of lime juice

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease and flour two 9×13-inch baking pans. Sift flour and baking powder together and set aside. Cream the butter and 2 cups of the sugar together until fluffy. Add the eggs and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Beat at a medium speed until blended. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, 2 tablespoons at a time, mixing well until blended. Pour batter evenly into prepared pans. Bake for 30 minutes or until done. Test with inserting toothpick or knife until it comes out clean.

Leave the cakes to cool on the counter top for 30 minutes. In a large bowl combine the whole milk, evaporated milk, and cream of coconut, whisk until well combined. Pour the milk mixture evenly over the top of the cooled cakes. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Puree guava shells with lemon juice in a food processor. Invert one cake onto a serving plate. Spread guava mixture on top of the cake. Invert the second cake on to a flat cookie sheet. Slide the second cake on top of the other. Combine whipping cream and the remaining 2 teaspoons of vanilla and 2 cups of sugar, whipping with electric hand mixer until thick. Spread over top of cake.

xoxo

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Comments

I love your site, I have a daughter in law which will appreciate you site. You are great no many people I know they can’t explain the way you do it on how to cook. I just have a question are you are from PR or NY any way don’t matter where you from I know you doing an excellent job. I will tell everyone of my friends about your website

I also love to make tres leche cakes but I add just a tad bit of rum to the milk mixture. I use heavy cream, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and about a tbs. of rum (I prefer dark but whatever is in the cabinet is fine!. After my cake cools I use a turkey baster to squeeze the milk mixture into the cake and continue until all the milk mixture is filled (i like a really moist tres leche). For topping I soften a bar of cream cheese and then mix in a tub of cool-whip for a nice creamy frosting and top with fruit. Make sure to keep this refrigerated until serving, it tastes much better cold!

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Welcome to The Noshery! I’m Meseidy (Meh-say-dee). Wife and mother to three four-legged children (including an ornery Terrier). A graduate of Platt College Culinary Arts Institute. Landlocked Puerto Rican, who must be within a five-mile radius of a plantain, at all times. Read More…